1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image communication technique, and more particularly to a technique of transmitting image data obtained by reading an original to a reception system via a network, and forming an image in the reception system.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the development of the network technique, a system has been used in which computers such as personal computers, or work stations (hereinafter, such a computer is referred to as “PC”), a scanner for reading an original, and a printer are connected to one another via a network. Such a system is used as a network copying device or a network facsimile device. A network copying device is a system in which image data that are obtained by reading an original with a scanner are transmitted to a printer to be printed out.
Conventionally, various techniques relating to a network copying device or a network facsimile device have been proposed. For example, a system has been proposed in which, when a facsimile server (reception side) receives facsimile image data addressed to addressees, the reception is notified to the addressees by an E-mail (Japanese Patent Publication (Kokai) No. HEI7-212395).
In the case where image data to be transmitted is provided with a high degree of security, the addresser often wishes to perform a process in which the right of outputting the image is given only to a specific addressee and the contents of the image are not opened to other persons (hereinafter, such a process is referred to as “confidential dealing”). When instructions for confidential dealing are given, a password is set, and only the addressee who knows the password is enabled to perform a printout operation based on the image data.
Even in a system wherein a facsimile server notifies addressees of reception of image data, the transmitting device which transmits image data cannot notify addressees that “image data have been transmitted,” or that “image data are going to be transmitted.” Furthermore, the addresser cannot know whether a copied original has been delivered to the desired addressee oneself or not. Therefore, the addresser must separately notify by telephone that image data have been transmitted or that image data are going to be transmitted, and check through telephone or the like whether a copied original has been delivered to the specific addressee or not.
In a system wherein, in the case of image data with a high degree of security, only a user who knows the password is enabled to give instructions for a printout operation, the addresser must notify the user of the password. Namely, the addresser must previously notify addressees of their respective passwords. Each time when the passwords are changed, the addresser must notify the addressees of the new passwords. Also when an addressee forgets the password, the addresser must notify the addressee of the password.
As described above, in the conventional art, in addition to transmission of image data, the addresser must additionally perform notification of transmission of image data, checking of acknowledgement, and notification of a password, by using a telephone or other communication means. As a result, the burden on the addresser is increased. Furthermore, there is a fear that the addresser remains to forget to perform such notification and checking.